Chapter 410 Zhao Duan: How much is Duke Cao's face worth?
Chapter 410 Zhao Duan: How much is Duke Cao's face worth? (5k)
Who is the drunkard? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then blurted out:
"You mean Lang Eighteen? He was captured? What happened?"
Faced with Zhao Duan's three consecutive questions, the female sorceress with severe social anxiety opened her mouth, as if she didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Zhao Duan took a deep breath and saw Jin Yi chasing after him outside the door. He frowned slightly, stood up and dragged her in, and drove away the pursuers outside the door: "Come in and talk slowly."
Well, running out in the dead of winter, her wet skirt was frozen hard, like a layer of armor.
Ji Yue murmured "Oh" softly, and her white pupils hidden behind her black hair looked at Ma Yan vigilantly, and she hid behind Zhao Duan...
"…Just tell me."
Zhao Duan felt the urge to hold his forehead: "Didn't you go back to Houhu after returning to Beijing last time?"
Ji Yue nodded timidly and gave a brief description of the incident.
After the meeting at Huting, she and Lang Shiba did return to Houhu to recuperate.
But today, a team of military masters suddenly visited Houhu. Due to the promulgation of the "New Deal", the Yellow Book Library was gradually abandoned, and the guarding of Houhu was much lax. In addition, Ji Yue was sleeping at the bottom of the lake in the middle of winter, and his senses were slowed by the ice.
When she heard the sound of fighting on the lake, she broke out of the ice and found that Lang Shiba, who was still seriously injured, had been captured on the island.
"An expert in the army?" Zhao Duan caught the key words.
Jiyue nodded weakly, put her toes together, and explained in a low voice:
"The other party has the tiger talisman and waist badge of the army. The treasurer on the island calls him the Duke of Anguo, so I dare not take action on my own. But I don't think he is sent by His Majesty... I don't know who to contact for this matter, so I come to you."
Zhao Duan and Ma Yan looked at each other and saw the solemnity and suspicion in each other's eyes.
"Are you sure it's the Duke of Anguo? The one stationed in Jubei City in the north?"
Ma Yan stared at Ji Yue and asked urgently.
Ji Yue huddled up silently and hid behind Zhao - she intuitively sensed that she couldn't afford to offend the other party.
"She doesn't know him. But she must have heard him wrong, so it must be him." Zhao Duan defended.
Ma Yan shook his head and said:
"Duke Anguo Cao Mao is indeed on his way back to the capital, but according to the itinerary he was sent back, he should be back in a few days. How could it be that..."
Zhao Duan said quietly:
"Duke Tang was supposed to be at the west gate, but he took a detour. There may be something fishy going on here."
He turned his head and looked at Ji Yue: "Do you know where those people took Lang Shiba to?"
Ji Yue whispered, "The Imperial Palace. I followed behind secretly and saw the direction to the palace."
Zhao Duan hesitated for a moment and said:
"Well, you stay here first. Don't move around, brother. I'll trouble you to look after her for the time being... Well, just leave her alone in a room where no one can disturb her. I'll talk to you when I come back."
This matter was too strange, he had to figure it out, otherwise he would not feel at ease.
Ma Yan nodded: "Don't worry, I will take good care of her."
No, there is something wrong with your line, brother... Zhao Duan couldn't suppress the urge to complain, so he patted his butt and got up to leave.
……
……
After leaving the imperial court, Zhao Duan rode straight to the imperial palace and had a smooth journey.
It was not until he entered the imperial city and expressed his desire to meet the empress that a young eunuch went to inform him.
After a while, Zhao Duan, who was anxiously waiting in the leeward side of the palace wall, was surprised to see a familiar figure walking towards him.
The female official's robe, the wingless black gauze, the plum blossom makeup...it turned out to be the old rival in love, Da Bingtuozi.
"What do you want to do with His Majesty?"
Mo Chou walked closer and looked him up and down with suspicious eyes, full of vigilance.
Zhao Duan rolled her eyes and wanted to say something like, "Why are you, a maid, interfering in the affairs between me and His Majesty?" But she held back.
"In a hurry."
Mo Chou had a stern face, much like the female salesperson at the window of the service hall in her previous life, and said without emotion: "Your Majesty is meeting with Duke Cao, so it is not convenient."
What Ji Yue said was true... Zhao Duan stared at her: "I got the news that Duke Anguo Cao Mao broke into Houhu without permission and led the masters in the army to capture the masters that His Majesty kept in Houhu."
Mo Chou's face changed slightly. The maid in the palace glanced around, suddenly pulled his sleeve, walked a few steps quickly, and stared at him at a more secluded place under the wall:
"You knew already?"
Zhao Duan said unhappily, "Don't play dumb. What's going on?"
Mo Chou pursed her lips and explained:
"Duke Cao entered the city suddenly. He must have left the team returning to the capital and only brought a small group of elite soldiers back to the capital in advance.
He suddenly entered the palace and reported to His Majesty that he had successfully arrested the 'Blood Blade of the North' who had committed murder in Jubei City in the past and had fled without a trace... You came a step too late, and now Lang Eighteen has been taken to the Ministry of Justice for trial, and I'm afraid he can't escape death."
Zhao Duan was stunned, and suddenly recalled the time when he fought with Prince Jing on the official ship.
During this time, Eunuch Hai told him about Lang Eighteen's origins.
He was a master in Jubei City. Later he was wanted and fled south. When he was seriously injured and dying, he was rescued by the prince. He changed his name and hid in Houhu Lake.
And Cao Mao was the commander of the border troops defending the northern city.
Seeing that he was puzzled, Mo Chou said:
"Lang Shiba's true identity is a wanted criminal who defected from Jubei City. Duke Cao somehow found out that he was hiding in Houhu Lake. This raid was probably premeditated to catch Lang Shiba off guard.
After the arrest, he brought people into the palace in a high-profile manner, not giving Your Majesty any time to react... Duke Cao kept saying that the wanted criminal was hiding in Houhu Lake and that he would be brought to justice... Your Majesty could only nod his head due to the national law."
No... something is wrong. Since Lang Shiba is hiding in the Royal Back Lake, even if Duke Cao is stupid, he can figure out that this person's anonymity is closely related to the Royal Family...
But they still chose to raid and arrest him, causing such a drama that was almost like forcing the emperor to abdicate...
Could it be that Cao Mao is so iron-faced that he would rather offend the emperor than punish him... I heard that this Duke has a bad reputation...
Zhao Duan asked seriously: "Why? Why did Duke Cao do this?"
Mo Chou glanced at him and explained in a low voice:
"Lang Shiba killed many of his fellow soldiers in Jubei City. It is said that one of Duke Cao's sons was killed while trying to capture Lang Shiba."
Ah, this... Zhao Duan choked. This was something he didn't expect.
If this is the case, it would perfectly explain why Duke Cao did this... He learned that the murderer who killed his son was hiding in the capital, even though he knew that the murderer might have been adopted by the royal family as a thug, but he still chose to fight back and pretended not to know.
Anyway, the man has been arrested and tried according to the law...the empress can do nothing about it.
but……
"No, this doesn't make sense. Eunuch Hai said it himself that Lang Shiba was saved by the prince. If the prince rescued someone, he would definitely investigate thoroughly. He knew that Lang Shiba had killed the duke's son, and even if he sympathized with his plight, would he be willing to risk offending the dead Duke Cao to save him just out of sympathy?"
Zhao Duan's brows were furrowed into a 川-shaped pattern, and his mind was filled with thoughts:
"Also, Lang Shiba had been hiding for many years, how did Cao Mao happen to find him? Unless..."
Zhao Duan's eyes narrowed:
"Prince Jing! Could it be Prince Jing? The only time Lang Shiba showed up this year was when he followed me to Huting. At that time, he had a conflict with Prince Jing, and Lang Shiba took action twice. Many of the people under Prince Jing's mansion have military experience, so it's not surprising that they recognized the famous Northern Blood Knife...
The eight princes are of the same blood. If Prince Jing leaked the news to Cao Mao on purpose... to provoke a conflict between Duke Cao and the court..."
Seeing that he suddenly fell silent, Mo Chou couldn't help but nudge him with her elbow: "What are you thinking about?"
"Well, nothing." Zhao Duan came back to his senses and asked carefully:
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
Mo Chou shook her head:
"I don't know. But I think His Majesty will be displeased. But the murder committed by Lang Shiba is real, and Duke Cao's anger is also real..."
What this means is that from the empress's point of view, from the perspective of the overall situation, it is undoubtedly most reasonable to sacrifice Lang Eighteen.
Anyway, they were just the death warriors raised by the prince, and they were not saved by the empress. Lang Shiba lived for several more years in Houhu Lake, which was considered a few years of life gained for nothing.
Anyone who can ascend the throne and become emperor, even if he has tender feelings towards a few people in his heart, will inevitably be cold and ruthless to the outside world.
Moreover, taking a step back, even if the empress wanted to show partiality, the matter had already been laid out in the open, and she could not openly disregard the law.
"In other words, Lang Shiba is going to die?" Zhao Duan said in a declarative sentence.
Mo Chou nodded gently. She took a closer look at her love rival, and her voice softened for some reason:
"Actually, this has nothing to do with you."
Zhao Duan was silent.
Yes, this matter does seem to have little to do with him. Duke Cao did not come for him, nor did he go for the empress.
Lang Shiba was originally an insignificant assassin. From any perspective, there was no need for the bigwigs in the capital to offend Duke Cao for the sake of a assassin.
Perhaps, except Ji Yue, no one cares about this matter at all.
No, I’m afraid Ji Yue may not care... otherwise she wouldn’t have taken no action at all and watched him being arrested. She just felt uneasy, so she came to find me.
As long as the man is beheaded according to the law, the anger of a duke can be appeased, which is the most correct option no matter how you look at it.
After all, he is just a small person.
"I understand." Zhao Duan nodded and walked out of the city gate. "You don't need to tell His Majesty that I was here."
"Eh..." Mo Chou subconsciously stretched out her hand and grabbed the air, but ultimately failed to touch his sleeve.
The female official watched the lonely figure of this annoying guy leave, and a strange emotion arose in her heart. She shook her head, curled her lips, and muttered, "Hypocrisy."
I thought this guy came for Lang Shiba, but after hearing the whole story, didn't he decisively withdraw, not wanting to be involved in anything?
Oh, politicians.
Although... I am the same... hypocritical.
……
Outside the deep archway of the imperial city, a crimson door inlaid with thick door nails stood open.
The armored guards standing on both sides saw Zhao Duan coming out of the palace.
He greeted him with a smile: "Sir, your horse." "Yes." Zhao Duan replied casually, jumped on the horse, shook the reins, and drove the horse along the main road away from the palace, returning to the direction of the imperial yamen.
When he was only halfway there, he caught sight of a wine shop on the side of the road and suddenly tightened his reins.
He dismounted, approached the shop, bought two large jars of the strongest liquor, and packed a large bag of meat and vegetables nearby, wrapping it in oil paper.
Zhao Duan rode his horse towards the Ministry of Justice prison.
Soon, the black and gray prison building came into view, looking particularly desolate and cold in the winter.
"Envoy Zhao? Hey, what brings you here?"
At the gate of the Ministry of Justice prison, a middle-aged man in a crimson official robe came to greet them with a smile. Judging from the pattern embroidered on his chest, he was the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice after Pei Kaizhi's downfall.
An official of this rank would not normally appear in the Ministry of Justice's prison.
"Haha, why did Minister Huang come out to blow the cold wind instead of sitting in the office?" Zhao Duan dismounted, laughing and joking.
The two were not familiar with each other, but they were both in the officialdom, and given his current status, they naturally knew each other.
Minister Huang laughed and saluted, saying:
"We are loyal to Your Majesty, so why should we care about a little bit of hardship? I didn't know that Envoy Zhao was here, this is..."
Zhao Duan patted the wine jars hanging on both sides of the saddle and said with a smile:
"I heard that the guard who accompanied me south before committed a crime and was put in jail. I came to take a look."
Minister Huang's face twitched, and he said in embarrassment: "Your Excellency, you are..."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Don't worry, Master Huang. I am just visiting the prison. I can test the wine and meat. They won't kill anyone. If anything goes wrong, it's my fault."
Because of the life and death incident between Gao Lian and County Magistrate Wang Chusheng in prison, the Ministry of Justice has been in a state of panic in the past few months.
Huang Shilang waved his hands:
"You are joking, sir. For your sake, let alone some wine and meat, I can at least send a bed. What's the problem? It's not that I am inflexible, but..."
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows: "Just?"
Before the latter could speak, the two standing in the prison front yard heard a strange and deep voice coming from the prison entrance:
"However, Duke Cao has issued an order that the suspect is extremely cunning and also has good martial arts skills. In order to prevent him from escaping, this general has been ordered to stay here and no one is allowed to visit him."
Zhao Duan looked over Minister Huang's shoulder and saw a young man slowly walking out of the darkness through the deep doorway of the prison.
He was wearing dark armor and had a sword hanging from his waist. His appearance was not outstanding except for his extremely thick eyebrows, which almost looked like they were drawn on his face with an ink pen.
As soon as he took a step out, Zhao Duan's muscles tensed up and he became instinctively alert!
He's a master! A martial arts master!
A military general who is definitely not inferior to the female general Tang Zhao!
The two people's eyes collided in the air, and it was like the sound of metal clashing.
A bean-sized bean of sweat quietly rolled down Minister Huang's forehead, and he groaned in his heart.
As a minister, he was an important official in the court. Anyone who met him in the capital would show some respect for him. However, he happened to be caught between King Zhao and Duke Cao.
In his heart, he had already pretended to be stupid and scolded the Minister of Justice seven or eight times for throwing the mess to him.
He still managed a smile on his face and introduced the two parties:
"Haha, this is Envoy Zhao. There is only one of his kind in the capital, so I guess there is no need to introduce him further."
"This one is also very famous. He is Cao Kedi, the deputy general of Jubei City and the most trusted adopted son of Cao Mao, the Duke of Anguo."
Reject the deputy general of Beicheng?
According to the information, who was the rising star among the generals under Cao Mao in the Jubei City Border Army?
Zhao Duan still had a smile on his face:
"So you are Lieutenant General Cao. I have heard of your great name for a long time. Just now you said that the Duke ordered you to guard the prisoners here?"
Cao Kedi, who was wearing dark armor, looked him up and down carefully, his eyes were quite meaningful, and he smiled: "I have also heard of the reputation of Envoy Zhao in the North. I wonder which prisoner you want to visit? As long as it is not the 'Blood Knife of the North', please go ahead."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"That's good. Deputy General Cao, please be busy. Minister Huang? Please lead the way for me to meet the prisoner Lang Shiba."
Cao Ke Di took a step to the side, blocking the way ahead, and frowned: "Did Envoy Zhao not hear clearly?"
Zhao Duan was surprised:
"I heard you clearly. The person you are guarding is 'Blood Blade of the North'. What does it have to do with Lang Eighteen, the person I visited in prison?"
"..." Cao Kedi's forehead was bulging with veins. He was stunned by Zhao Duan's shamelessness. He slowly put away his smile and said, "My Lord, please don't make things difficult for me."
Zhao Duan smiled and looked at him:
"Who in the capital doesn't know that I have always been kind to others? I treat my friends with a warm and friendly attitude like the spring breeze?"
After a pause, he smiled and said, "However, if it is an enemy, it should be as cold as winter."
Cao Ke Di said calmly: "I have no intention of being your enemy, and I believe that Envoy Zhao will not deny the Duke's face."
The two men confronted each other, neither giving in.
The wind in the Ministry of Justice's prison was as cold as a blade, as if it could cut people.
"You two...don't be angry..."
Minister Huang's heart skipped a beat and he tried to smooth things over, but as a minister of high rank, he was ignored by the two of them.
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes, moved his wrists with both hands, making a "click-click" sound, and sneered:
"How much is Duke Cao's face worth on the scale?"
How much is face worth?!
It's over! Minister Huang's heart sank to the bottom.
Upon hearing this, Cao Ke Di's expression suddenly changed, as if he was enraged. He climbed up to the hilt of the knife at his waist with his right hand, and the knife in the sheath came out an inch with a "clang" sound!
"How dare you! How dare you be so rude to the Duke!"
Woo woo—a cold wind blew up out of nowhere. In the gray-black courtyard, wisps of invisible and intangible energy were as dense as a spider web, crisscrossing and spreading with the two of them at the center.
The faces of several jailers in the distance changed. They felt difficulty breathing and burning pain on their faces, as if the air in the air would tear bloody wounds if they dared to step forward.
Minister Huang felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave, his legs felt as if they were filled with lead and he was unable to move.
As a mortal, facing the aura struggle of a warrior in the Divine Chapter Realm, he was so weak that he seemed to be torn to pieces in an instant.
However, just when the two sides were on the verge of a fight, suddenly, a hearty laugh broke the atmosphere in the courtyard!
The laughter came from outside the courtyard, without any trace of worldly air.
There is not even a trace of a practitioner.
But Zhao Duan and Cao Kedi were startled at the same time, their nerves tensed, and their eyes looked towards the courtyard gate.
It was because the two of them didn't notice someone coming outside the yard just now!
Without noticing!
who is it?
"Haha, Lord Zhao, my lord has had a hard time finding you."
Duke? Duke again?
While he was in a daze, Zhao Duan suddenly saw a slightly hunched figure with a limp in one leg slowly walking towards him outside the gray-black gate of the Ministry of Justice prison.
He was dressed in expensive clothes, had no weapons on him, and was dressed in an elegant manner. At first glance, he looked like a wealthy man.
But the moment he stepped into the yard, the lingering and ubiquitous dense energy was violently torn off by an iron hand.
So strong!
A warrior of the worldly realm! And this is not just an ordinary worldly realm!
Zhao Duan quickly judged in his heart that the man had a good cultivation level, and the strong military aura that he could not conceal was even stronger than that of Cao Kedi.
Thinking about his self-proclaimed "Duke" and his appearance... Zhao Duan was so happy that he blurted out, "Duke Tang?"
The Duke of Zhenguo, Master of Soup!
He appeared here without any warning, and from the tone of his voice he seemed to be looking for me.
Duke Tang smiled like a rich man pretending to be cultured. He ignored the confrontation in the courtyard, his eyes fell on Zhao Duan, and he walked over with a smile and said:
"After my daughter and my son came back home, they explained the whole story to me, and I realized the misunderstanding, which led to my daughter's trespassing into Lihua Hall. I really shouldn't have done that. I also heard that Envoy Zhao had disciplined that fool who didn't know how to judge people for me in the Shenji Camp.
I thought that I should invite Envoy Zhao to my house for a simple meal and apologize in person, but I didn't expect to find him everywhere. After finally chasing him here, it seems that I have come at the wrong time."
You came to have dinner with me? So approachable?
It’s not like the rumors say that the Duke of Zhenguo is very protective of his people… Yes, they only say that he is protective and overbearing, but they don’t say that he is difficult to get along with…
Zhao Duan was extremely surprised. Although he was stunned, he smiled and bowed, "It's just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning. I don't want to trouble the Duke to come in person. I am unworthy of it."
Duke Tang smiled and finished the greetings. Then he turned his eyes and glanced at Cao Kedi.
With just this one glance, Cao Ke Di felt the energy in his body surging violently, and his face turned red, which was caused by the surging of energy and blood.
He was horrified. He never thought that this Duke of Zhenguo was so domineering.
"Cao Mao's adopted son? Not bad, but unfortunately, he followed the wrong person."
Duke Tang's eyes were indifferent, as if he could see through the young man in dark armor inside and out in just one breath.
The tone of voice carried the unquestionable power of someone who had been in a high position for a long time:
"Go back and tell Cao Mao that the capital is not his Jubei City, and the Ministry of Justice is not his military prison. This is the emperor's feet, and we must be reasonable."
After a pause:
"What is reason?"
Duke Tang's smile was devoid of any worldly air, but the words he uttered were like a heavy hammer, hitting Cao Ke's enemy so hard that he saw stars and retreated step by step.
He pointed at himself and smiled:
"I am better than Cao Mao, and I am right."
(End of this chapter)